Appointment of New Mossad Chief

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, introduced Yossi Cohen as the new head of Mossad, the country's foreign intelligence and espionage agency. Netanyahu emphasized the importance of Mossad for maintaining Israel's security and intelligence capabilities during a press conference on Monday, December 7. He stated that he chose Cohen from three candidates due to his 'combination of initiative with courage, creative pragmatism, and insight, along with extensive knowledge, especially in the cyber and modern technology fields.' Netanyahu noted that extremist Islamism in the region is one of the most significant challenges Israel faces, and the next head of Mossad must play a crucial role in ensuring security and overcoming these challenges. Yossi Cohen will replace Tamir Pardo starting February 1, 2016, who has held the position for the past five years. The term of the Mossad chief can be extended only with the Prime Minister's approval and in exceptional cases, but for reasons unknown, Netanyahu did not extend Tamir Pardo's term. Before Pardo, Meir Dagan held the position for eight years and was close to Ariel Sharon, but Netanyahu also extended his term. However, Dagan joined the ranks of Netanyahu's critics a few months after leaving Mossad, particularly regarding his policies towards Iran, and repeatedly warned of the 'dangerous' consequences of Netanyahu's approach for Israel. It is unclear what Tamir Pardo's views will be after his term ends, but some Israeli analysts suggest that his views may align with Dagan's. The new Mossad chief, Yossi Cohen, was born and raised in Jerusalem and has been with Mossad since the end of his military service at the age of 21. His last position was as deputy head of Mossad during Tamir Pardo's tenure. However, two and a half years ago, he was appointed by Netanyahu as the Secretary of the National Security Council of Israel, and since Netanyahu's relationship with former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman soured, Cohen has effectively carried out significant missions akin to those of a foreign minister. He has been one of Netanyahu's closest aides in the Prime Minister's Office over the past two and a half years, accompanying him on trips to the United States and the White House, as well as to Moscow for meetings with Putin. Israeli media reports state that Cohen is 'fully and flawlessly' proficient in English, French, and Arabic, in addition to Hebrew, which is his mother tongue. Israeli media previously referred to Cohen as the 'Mossad model' due to his good looks and attractive male appearance since the early years of his joining Mossad. At 54 years old, he is a father of four and a grandfather of one. Until a few years ago, the publication of photos and names of the heads of the two internal and external security organizations, Shabak and Mossad, was prohibited in Israel, but the Israeli government lifted this ban, and Netanyahu announced Yossi Cohen's name as the new head of Mossad on Monday night. Meanwhile, only the names, photos, and videos of the heads of Mossad and Shabak are mentioned, while the names and photos of other employees of these two organizations are still legally prohibited from being published. The last time Mossad made headlines worldwide was during the assassination of Mahmoud Abdul-Raouf al-Mabhouh, Hamas's weapons procurement officer, in a hotel in Dubai in the winter of 2010. Dubai police released footage and images of 'Mossad teams' sent to Dubai to kill al-Mabhouh, stating that they used the passports of ordinary individuals from many countries, including Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand for this mission. Mossad is also attributed with various operations worldwide, but one of its most significant actions was locating Adolf Eichmann, Adolf Hitler's deputy, in Argentina and abducting him to Israel in 1960 for trial; Eichmann was the only person executed in Israel. The killing of all Palestinian and Arab operatives involved in the hostage-taking of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972 is also attributed to Israel. Israeli media have reported that Mossad, which is considered the country's foreign mission organization, has been tasked in recent years with monitoring and disrupting Iran's nuclear program. Some cyber sabotage and other disruptions in Iran's nuclear plans have been attributed to Mossad by global media. The Islamic Republic of Iran has also attributed the killing of several of its nuclear scientists in recent years to 'targeted assassination plots' by Mossad. In the fall of 1999, Iran executed a man named Ali Ishtari, who had previously been associated with some of Iran's intelligence and military agencies, on charges of espionage for Mossad. In this context, the UAE reacted to the news of the Israeli representation in Abu Dhabi.